More than 24 hours after it was originally scheduled the men’s individual triathlon got underway at the Paris Olympics. Games organisers deemed the bacterial levels in the River Seine to be at a level sufficiently low for the swimming segment to get underway on Wednesday morning.
The currents in the Seine contributed to what World Triathlon described as “a hugely tough swim.” The difficulty was compounded by the fact that the 55 athletes who faced the starter’s gun would have missed the opportunity to do familiarisation swims over the weekend, thanks to the water quality issues.
Barbados’ Matthew struggled in the opening part of the race. His time of 22:13 over the 1500m course left him well adrift of the leading pack, in 42nd position. It was about three and a half minutes off the time he turned in at the World Championships in May.
But the 32-year-old, who trains in Wales, got back on terms on the bike portion. He had one of his strongest rides, going 53:50 for the 40 kilometres through the streets of Paris. On that leg, he was 37th, and moved up to 39th.
With one more event to go, Wright called upon the muscle memory from his days as a CARIFTA track and field champion, turning in one of his best 10k runs ever. He finished 25th in that segment in 32:02, and ended in 34th overall.
Great Britain’s Alex Yee won gold in 1:43:33, outkicking New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde to win by just six seconds in the run portion. Wright, on Olympic debut, finished 5:45 back in 1:49:18.
“It was epic!,” said Wright, drinking in the experience. ‘[I have] mixed emotions, as I know I should’ve been in the front pack after the swim. But I put my best race together I could from the swim I had. But overall absolutely amazing! The crowds were like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Sandra Osborne, president of the Barbados Olympic Association, led a chorus of congratulatory messages. The current and former presidents of the Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes (BFIT), along with chef de mission of Team Barbados, Cameron ‘Cammie’ Burke, also expressed their commendations to Barbados TODAY.
“I think Matthew’s performance is to be highly commended,” remarked Osborne. “He is one of our Olympic Solidarity Scholars, and has demonstrated that he is very capable of competing among the top triathletes in the world with his 34th place out of 55 today.
“His commitment and endurance were on display – he was able to finish the race with the pack, swimming 1500m, then cycling 40k, and running 10k. He represented Barbados and the Caribbean well today, and did us proud.”
Former BFIT president Darren Treasure echoed those sentiments, as did current president, Dr Garth Mcintyre.
Said Dr Mcintyre: “BFIT is extremely pleased and proud of Matthew on achieving his dream of competing on the greatest stage, the Olympic Games. He should be very pleased of his performance in this world-class field.”
The local triathlon chief shared the opinion that the event being delayed by one day would have had a huge effect on Wright. But he added that the cancellation of the familiarisation swim would certainly have posed a challenge for all concerned.
“Negotiating the river currents looked like a challenge to all the athletes, and some would have overcome this better than others,” he told Barbados TODAY. “The swim would have set the pace for the remainder of the race, but he was able to advance a few positions on the ride and run.”
Barbados will host the 2024 CARIFTA Triathlon, Aquathlon, and Mixed Relay Championships, August 17-18. The hosts are also two-time defending champions, and will field their biggest team ever (35 athletes) in a bid for the three-peat.
Former BFIT president Darren Treasure said that although the island’s best athletes at the CARIFTA level are in their mid-teens, he hopes that Wright’s accomplishment will spur the youngsters to future glory.
Mcintyre further revealed to Barbados TODAY that the postponement may have been a blessing in disguise. The original schedule would have meant a 2:00 am start in Barbados. With a revised 4:45 am start time, the organisation was able to hold a watch party, which included several members of the 2024 CARIFTA team.
“Matthew’s journey has been a motivating force among our youth and junior triathletes, many of whom woke early [Wednesday] morning to watch his performance and see where hard work and perseverance could get them.
“He’s been a mentor for them for many years,” Mcintyre continued, “participating in camps and engaging with them whenever he is in Barbados. And BFIT is looking forward to his continued participation at the top level in triathlon.”
Like Treasure, Mcintyre is hopeful that the next generation of triathletes will be inspired by Wright, as well as 2016 Olympian, Jason Wilson. Both gentlemen point to 2032 as being the target cycle, even going so far as to air the possibility of seeing the nation represented in men’s, women’s, and mixed team events. This, they say, would be the dream result of ongoing development initiatives.
(TF)
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